So now that we have gotten most of our anger out over the New
York Ranger’s terrible effort in game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyer there
are a couple of positives to hold out hope for in game 7. For starts the
Rangers are 5-0 in game sevens played at Madison Square Garden and Henrik
Lundqvist was the winning goalie in 2 of those wins.

The Rangers have won every odd numbered game is the only
other real positive.

The Ranger’s Jekyll/Hyde act in the playoffs has to go if
this team ever hopes to get to one day play for the Stanley Cup. That nobody on
the Rangers can figure out why these efforts happen (they can but it is
doubtful they would ever admit it to the public) is sad because it does boil
down to one thing which is the lack of a real team leader.

Forget the nonsense about a captain as Ryan Callahan wasn’t
all that great a leader either. We have been down this road before regarding
who should be the next captain and honestly I would give it to Derek Stepan
before anyone else.

What else angered me about the game? Wayne Simmonds running
Mats Zuccarello showed what kind of real “tough guy” he is. Really running a
guy 5’6 just after he scored a goal in a game that was long decided was as low
class as one can get.

A stick tap to Brian Boyle for dropping the gloves and
standing up for himself as Boyle has not played badly but man he has to improve
his skating and learn how to finish plays. If Boyle had finished even 1/3rd of the chances he has had in this series then this would be a piece on how much
a cheater Crosby is.

And I have to join the chorus of those begging to see Benoit
Pouliot sent to the press box as how many bad penalties does he get to take?
Yes Pouliot is trying to hit everything in sight and he did lead the Rangers
with 6 hits but the Rangers need him to score goals not play like a nutcase.

Should the Rangers fail to win game 7 then it will be time
for Glen Sather to step aside as Ranger’s GM and just be Team President. 14
years and we keep finding ourselves watching this team snatch defeat from
victory.

The Flyers should have been dispatched in 5 games, 6 at the
most but the Rangers for whatever reason have now blown 12 straight games in
playoff series that they have led.

Excuse me I need to go beg my wife to bake one of her Ranger
magic pizzas as I do not want to have the Ranger season end hours before my
birthday begins. Every year people ask me what I would like for my birthday and
my answer is “to see the Rangers still playing hockey.”

Lose Wednesday and my birthday wish won’t happen. And then I will be really grumpy.